Using Technology Tools to Individualize

Reading Instruction

Zulma Whiteford Our Lady of Perpetual Help School

 Our Lady of Perpetual Help School in Ellicott City, Maryland, is a Catholic Elementary School of the Archdiocese of Baltimore, and as such presents a Catholic Christian value-based curriculum, in accordance with Baltimore Archdiocesan guidelines.

  In cooperation with the Archdiocese of Baltimore, Our Lady of Perpetual Help School participates in Stanford 10 testing for our students.

 The Council for American Private Education (CAPE) recently released information on nationally normed achievement tests which helps schools identify themselves as being in the top 10 percent of all schools nationally.

 Our Lady of Perpetual Help students in Grades 3-8 took the Stanford 10 Test in Spring 2010. The following chart shows OLPH scaled scores and percentiles in comparison to those needed to achieve the 90th percentile. Nearly all scores meet or exceed this very high level.

2009- 2010 Stanford 10 Results

 How can I use technology tools to continue to improve reading scores for students in Grades 3 to 8?

Accelerated Reader

 The implementation of the Accelerated Reader program is a research based computer tool that promotes reading success by analyzing student’s performance and determining an individualized student goal.

How does it work?

 Student chooses to read a book from the extensive AR database (over 140,000 titles)

• Once finished, students come into the computer lab to take their on-line test.

• The program compiles the results in a variety of reports for the teacher to review and develop an instructional plan for each student.

 The first step is to establish a baseline for the student population prior to the introduction of Accelerated Reader. The baseline will be established by using the 2010 Lexile scores and the Grade equivalency and ZPD results from the Star Reading Assessment tool. This will provide a basis of comparison for the end of the year.

 The second step is to set individualized student goals using the test results and the conversion chart provided by Renaissance Learning at www.renlearn.com

The third step is to compare the OLPH Student’s progress between the 2010 and the 2011 Stanford 10 results and the results of the Star Reading Assessment test administered at the end of the school year.

 Promotes the invaluable practice of reading

 Meets the needs of individual students

 Concept is research based

 Develop life-long readers

 Empower children with choice!

As an administrator…

  One must support the school-wide AR initiative.

  Ensure that everyone is onboard in order to promote student success.

  Monitor that the curriculum supports the program.

  Collaborate with faculty to monitor computer test results, analyze data and allocate resources to improve student performance.

  Educate the parent community to create a partnership between school and home.

Tools

 Accelerated Reader software program

 Star Reading Assessment program

 Kidblog

The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you'll go. -- Dr. Seuss